G1 Flattop

Series: Generation 1
Allegiance: Decepticon
Categories: Micromaster Transport
Year: 1989

Terror is the ultimate weapon.
The scourge of the seven seas. Prowls the oceans, sinking everything. Dreams of floating on a sea of burning Autobot fuel. Armed with torpedo launchers equipped with heat-sensitive tracking devices. Transforms into interstellar jet equipped with devastating X-ray laser cannons. Serrated wingtips in jet Mode can cleave enemy warriors in two. Possesses superior maneuverability in the air. Reinforced, steel alloy fuselage ideal for mid-air dogfights.

Robot Mode: Flattop is a dark purple and grey Micromaster robot that uses the basic jet-former design of the jet cockpit forming the center of the chest, just in a very, very simplified manner. He can twist his arms at the shoulders and bend the legs (only both together) at the waist. The only spot of color is his face. Bottom line, a typical Micromaster robot, not terribly exciting.

Alternate Mode: Flattop transforms into an F-4 Phantom jet, still dark purple and grey, of course. The arms become large missiles under his wings, giving the impression that the jet is so heavily armed it won’t get off the ground. Nothing really wrong here, a good jet mode given the size, but not terribly exciting, either.

Partner / Add-Ons: Flattop is one of the so-called Micromaster Transports, meaning a Micromaster robot with a transforming support vehicle. Unlike all the other Micromaster Transports, though, Flattop doesn’t actually link up with his vehicle (most of the others being tractors pulling trailers). His vehicle is an aircraft carrier and – given the small size – looks pretty good in that form, too. Okay, it’s still way too small given the size of Flattop’s jet mode, but you can still put the jet on top of it, no problem. Big guns on the side supply firepower in this mode.

The carrier transforms into an interstellar jet, meaning you flip it over and extend part of the carrier’s flight deck sideways as wings. That’s pretty much it. The resulting jet looks rather unfinished and boring in my opinion. Flattop can either sit or stand in the open cockpit and the big guns are mounted on the wings. Nothing really wrong here, mind you, just boring. The carrier mode looks better.

Remarks: Like most of the Micromasters in my possession I got Flattop as part of a larger haul on eBay. I’m not a big fan of Micromasters in general and pretty much the only reason to like Flattop is his profile text, which paints him as a slaughter-happy pyromaniac pirate. There aren’t enough slaughter-happy pyromaniac pirates in this franchise, so we can be glad to have Flattop. Apart from that, though, there is little positive I can say here. If you like G1 Micromasters, then there is nothing wrong with Flattop except for a rather boring paintjob. Otherwise, though, you can easily leave him aside.

Rating: C-